Florida man buries his mother in back garden to continue receiving her benefits

Brian Lee Adams, 57, received pension payments for nearly a year.

Brian Lee Adams, 57, buried his mother in her back garden so he could receive her benefitsClay County Sheriff's Office

A Florida man has been jailed for more than five years after he buried his own mother in the back garden so that he could continue to receive her benefits.

Brian Lee Adams, 57, discovered his mother's death in July 2014 but continued receiving her pension payments for another year.

He and his son buried the 80-year-old woman in her garden in Green Cove Springs, Jacksonville, and pocketed $35,345 (£28,292) before eventually being found out.

According to People, the case came to light in June 2015 when Adams's daughter Brittanie Adams contacted authorities after her father told her what he had done.

During an interview with the US Secret Service, Adams said he used his mother's benefits because he didn't have a job and needed to provide for his child.

"He explained that if he had reported her death to the police, the benefits would have been discontinued and then he would have had no way to support himself or his son," said the plea agreement.

"Adams explained, in detail, how he and his son removed his mother's body from her house after finding her deceased and buried her in the backyard."

Before Adams was caught, he used his mother's name to write himself checks to transfer money to his own accounts.

After the alarm was raised, Clay County Sheriff's Office started a missing person's case and discovered the mother's body in June 2015.

However, when the discovery was made, Adams had fled and was nowhere to be found.

He was then arrested in October in North Carolina for violating probation connected to a possession of methamphetamine charge, but local authorities did not know about the theft from his mother.

The charges were then discovered and Adams pleaded guilty to theft of government property and aggravated identity theft charges in November 2016. On Monday (30 January), US District Judge Marcia Morales Howard sent him to federal prison for five years and four months.